The business came before the marriage

On a Cold and Stormy Night in 2006…

Kathryn Cherne and Bill Cherne on the site of a completed kitchen renovation project in Evanston.

Kathryn was working for another design firm in the Chicago area and came home frustrated with her job and gave her then boyfriend (now husband) Bill Cherne a call on the phone to discuss her bad day. While on the phone she said, “Bill, someday I’m going to start my own company and do it better.” At that point Bill said, “how about that day be today?” Katy laughed and dismissed the idea.

What she didn’t know was that Bill was bored that night and didn’t have anything better to do while he was stuck in the Marriott Key Center in downtown Cleveland, OH. That night in December of 2006, Bill pulled together a business plan, reserved the domain designInsidechicago.com and officially opened the doors for business. The following morning, Bill called up Katy and shared the good news that she was now the other half of Design Inside.

From that day forward, the rest was history. This couple started a design company from nothing with the goal of shaking up the interior design industry by providing accessible design to the average person. Their goal was to show their customers that great design doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and that everyone is deserves a home that fits their functional and aesthetic needs as well as their budget.